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KIRK PENTON, QMI Agency

MONTREAL - Jovon Johnson basically shrugged Saturday when asked if the thought of facing a star-studded Alouettes receiving corps kept him up this week.

The Bombers cornerback doesn’t seem too scared about going up against the likes of Jamel Richardson, who leads the league with 1,015 receiving yards, and S.J. Green, who is fifth with 770.

“They pose the same threats as everybody else in the league,” Johnson said. “They’re no better than anybody else. They just got a better quarterback.”

Richardson has never had a 100-yard game against the Bombers.

HEADS UP, BUCK: The Alouettes keep up with current events, so they’re aware Bombers quarterback Buck Pierce is dealing with sore ribs.

“Already our strike zone is between the shoulders and the knees anyway,” Als defensive end John Bowman said. “So it sucks for him. If it was an ankle he can get away with it, but that’s our strike zone anyway so we gotta hit him in the ribs.

“I’m sure if somebody gets a shot, they’re going to take it.”

Pierce will make his 11th consecutive start on Sunday, which is a career long for the injury-prone 29-year-old. He hasn’t faced the Alouettes since August 2008.

FAMILIAR FACE: Perry Floyd goes into Sunday’s contest with the longest kickoff return for the Bombers this season, which is interesting when you consider he was cut more than a month ago.

Floyd resurfaced with the Alouettes, but he figured he would get more time to cure his case of butter fingers with the Bombers.

“I knew it was a thin-ice thing with what was happening, but when it happened I didn’t think it would be that soon,” Floyd said. “I thought I maybe would’ve got another week or so to kind of show something.”

Floyd has an 18.7-yard kickoff return average and a 10.2-yard mark on punt returns with the Alouettes. His Winnipeg numbers were 18.2 and 11, respectively.

Floyd had three fumbles with the Bombers, but he recovered each of them. He hasn’t put any on the turf since joining the Als.

LATE HITS: Despite practising with the first-team defence all week, defensive tackle Dorian Smith won’t return to face the Als after missing three games with an ankle injury. The Bombers like the job Bryant Turner has done … Montreal middle linebacker Shea Emry will return to the lineup after missing two games with a concussion, but cornerback Dwight Anderson (hip) won’t play … Four of Montreal’s five defensive backs at the start of the season are out of the lineup with injuries.